Are you gonna?
by cncgrad02
Summary: Who would have ever thought that THE Troy Bolton would be nervous about anything?


**This one shot came to me one morning as I was driving to work. A song came on the radio and- while it's not a song that I particularly like- the first verse just made me think of Troy and Gabriella. As always, I don't own HSM, Troyella, Disney, bowling, Thompson Square... actually, I don't own much, just my minivan and a few Karen Kingsbury books! Something tells me that a lot of us could use some fluff right now, so here it is! Read, enjoy, and review! Smooches!**

_We were sittin' up there on your momma's roof  
>Talkin' 'bout everything under the moon<br>With the smell of honeysuckle and your perfume  
>All I could think about was my next move<em>

_Oh, but you were so shy, so was I_  
><em>Maybe that's why it was so hard to believe<em>  
><em>When you smiled and said to me<em>  
><em>"Are you gonna kiss me or not?<em>

_Are we gonna do this or what?_  
><em>I think you know I like you a lot<em>  
><em>But you're 'bout to miss your shot<em>  
><em>Are you gonna kiss me or not?"<em>

**TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF**

The young sixteen year old grabbed her purse off the hall table as she heard the doorbell ring. She opened the front door and excitedly greeted her new friend that had quickly become her confidant. She might even consider Taylor her best friend. But then again, Gabriella had only been in Albuquerque for about a month, so she had yet to truly form adequate opinions about her new acquaintances.

"Mom? Taylor's here! We're going!" Gabriella called up the stairs to her mother.

"Brie, wait just a minute." The two girls looked at each other and Taylor covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle as her new friend rolled her eyes.

"Mom, we have to go! Everyone's waiting," Gabriella complained.

"Well, I'm so sorry for wanting to tell you good-bye face to face instead of yelling it through the house," Maria Montez told her daughter as she descended the stairs. "Hello, Taylor. Nice to see you again."

"Hi, Ms. Montez," Taylor greeted her new friend's mother.

"Where are you girls going again?"

"We're going bowling, Mom. Everyone's going to be there."

"Who's everyone?" Maria questioned.

"Well, me and Taylor, of course. Um... Chad said he's coming, I think Jason and Zeke will be there, too. Kelsi said she'd try..." Gabriella let her voice trail off, purposefully leaving one name off the list... the name of the person that she really hoped would be there. Maria however noticed the pause in the list of names.

"Well, if Chad is going to be there, doesn't that mean that Troy will be, too?"

"Gabriella hopes so," Taylor said, receiving and elbow to the ribs from her friend.

"Taylor!" Gabriella scolded. Maria turned her back to hide her smile and reached for her purse that sat on the third step. She reached in for her wallet and turned back around to face the girls.

"Here, Brie. Take this," she said, reaching her hand out to offer the twenty- five dollars to her daughter.

"Mom, I have money."

"Well, now I'll feel better knowing that you have enough. You girls go. Have fun."

"Thank you, Mom," Gabriella said, giving her mom a hug. "I'll be home by curfew."

"Tell Troy I said hello," Maria called out as the two girls were closing the front door behind them. She smiled to herself as she heard her daughter call out a frustrated _"Mom!"_ from the other side of the thick wooden door. Maria walked into the den and sat on the couch. As she turned on the television, she allowed her mind to wander about the girl her daughter was becoming.

Gabriella had always been brilliant, even as a child. It was no surprise to any of her teachers that she would do amazing things academically. When Diego was diagnosed with cancer at a young age and began the battle for his life, Maria made a promise to him. The two had been in their bedroom discussing their options after a particularly draining chemotherapy session and Diego had confessed to Maria that he had his life insurance policy changed earlier in the week to include their daughter. He made sure that she would be provided with enough to help her adjust for single parenthood, but wanted the majority to be left for Gabriella.

It was hard for Maria and Gabriella to adjust to life without Diego. Just as Maria found that she began struggling financially, the company she worked for came through for her and offered her a promotion. The only problem was that the new position was in a different city, which meant that she and Gabriella would have to leave their hometown of San Antonio, Texas. It was one of the hardest decisions to make- San Antonio was not only where their family was, but also where Diego was buried- but Maria knew that it would eventually become one of the best she'd ever make.

And now, seven years later, the Montez women had been in five different cities and Gabriella in five different schools. Maria knew it was tough on her, moving to a new school each year. She watched as her daughter kept to herself and threw herself into her studies and avoided socializing with her classmates unless it was school related. That's why when Maria's company first approached her with the opportunity to transfer to Albuquerque, New Mexico, she laid all her negotiating chips on the table- including that she and Gabriella would stay for two consecutive years... long enough for her daughter to graduate and then she would be at their beck and call once more. Knowing that Maria was the best person for this particular job, her company bent over backwards to meet all of her requests and the deal was done and the Montez women were off to Albuquerque.

Needless to say, watching her daughter actually go out on a Friday night with friends to do something other than study at the downtown library or stay up in her room working on a research paper made her incredibly happy. As long as Gabriella was going out and making friends, Maria was willing to ride that trust wave and let her come and go as she pleased- within limits, of course... Which is why it was no bother to her that Gabriella was in the midst of a flirting battle with a certain basketball captain.

The basketball captain? Her shy, timid Gabriella in likes with the _basketball captain_? And the coach's son, none the less. Maria shook her head as she thought about the situation. She stood and walked across the room, picking up a framed picture of her late husband.

"Oh, Diego. If only you were here and could physically see her now. She's growing up, you know? She's got your sarcastic wit, believe it or not!" Maria chuckled softly as she set the picture down and made her way into the kitchen to find dinner for the evening.

**TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF**

The two girls sat in the car traveling to the nearby bowling alley where the gang had decided to meet. As they sat at a red light waiting for it to change, Taylor reached out to turn down the radio and turned to face Gabriella.

"So," Taylor began.

"Yes?" Gabriella responded, curious as to what her friend was about to say.

"I didn't tell you this sooner."

"Tell me what?"

Taylor smiled as she spoke her next words. "Troy _is_ going to be there. Chad texted me while I was getting ready and told me."

"Okay, and?"

"And I just thought you would like to know that. I mean, you do like him, don't you?"

Gabriella scoffed at Taylor's question as if it was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. "Taylor, of course I like him. I mean, we're in the musical together and he and I have gotten to know each other through that. He's really sweet and caring and funny and I like being around him."

"You forgot good looking."

"Okay, fine. Yes, he's good looking, too. Happy?"

"I won't be happy until the two of you are together," Taylor admitted.

Gabriella shot a look in her direction as Taylor pulled the car into the parking lot and found a spot. The two went inside and quickly found the rest of their friends. They spotted Zeke first. Being the tallest, he easily towered over the other three boys and spotted the girls quickly.

"Taylor, Gabriella! We're over here!"

The two girls joined Zeke, Chad, Jason and, yes, Troy. Troy and Gabriella shared a look and a smile as they greeted each other.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," she responded, as she looked down at her feet as she shuffled them slightly. "Um, how was your rehearsal with Kelsi this afternoon?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Good," he told her. "I um, I'm just ready to not think about the musical for now and just have fun."

Their conversation was interrupted by Chad. "What do you guys say? Make a competition out of tonight? Guys versus girls?"

"Um, Chad?" Taylor spoke up. "If we play it that way, the teams will be uneven."

"You know what? I'll play with the girls," Zeke spoke up. "That will make it even, number wise."

"Hey, I'm up for some competition," Troy said. "What about you two?" he asked, turning his attention to the girls.

"Sure, why not? That'll make tonight fun," Taylor said and Gabriella quickly agreed.

The group paid for their first game and each got their shoes. Once they found their assigned lanes, Troy got an idea and waited until he had his shoes on to speak up.

"You're going down, Montez!" he said.

Gabriella scrunched her eyebrows as she considered his words. "Oh, really?"

"Yep. You and your little friends, too," he told her, with his voice laced with mock arrogance.

The rest of the group sat back watching the exchange with interest. Everyone knew the two liked each other and they also knew that neither of them was going to be courageous enough to make the first move. It was always entertaining watching the two interact with each other. Suddenly Gabriella got the attention of everyone with her next words- words that no one expected to hear from the timid girl.

"Care to make it interesting?"

The group let out a collective 'ooooo' as the two continued the flirty banter.

Troy tied his second shoe and let his foot drop to the floor before fixing his gaze on his brown eyed crush. "What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"If I win, you will carry my books to all my classes for a whole week," she said.

"But I'll be late to almost all of my classes! We only have one class together," Troy protested.

"How is that any different than now?" Zeke questioned, earning a laugh eruption from the rest of the group.

"Shut up, Zeke," Troy said, keeping his gaze on Gabriella. "Seriously, Gabriella?"

Gabriella nodded her head as Troy tried to protest. "Seriously. You carry my books for me. One week. Five days."

Troy lifted his chin a bit and studied her face as he considered her proposal. "Okay. And if I win?"

Gabriella stood from her seat and walked across the way to where Troy was sitting. She placed her hands on the arm rests of his seat and leaned down so she could look him in the eyes. _God, his eyes are beautiful! _she thought to herself. But as soon as the thought entered her mind, she pushed it away. _Don't think about that now! You've almost got him in the palm of your hand! _"Why don't you win first then we'll discuss that?" she said, as she cocked her eyebrows and the rest of the group gave out yet another "oooooo".

"She's good, Troy," Chad called out.

Troy ignored the comments coming from his friends as he thought of his reward. Finally, an idea came to mind as he moved to stand, forcing Gabriella to stand back up. He crossed his arms as he looked down upon the petite girl in front of him. "At the risk of sounding childish, it's not fair that we don't know the stakes evenly before playing. If I win, you do all my homework for 1 week."

"Your teachers will know," Gabriella pointed out as she looked up at him with her arms crossed as well. "Are you willing to risk it?"

"What's the matter? You think I'll win?"

"Not a chance," she told him confidently as she stuck her right hand out. "Bring it, Bolton."

"Game on, Montez!" he said, as he took her small hand in his own and the two shook on their deal.

As Gabriella turned on her heels to make her way back to her seat, she nervously bit at the inside of her lip. The calls of "Go Troy" and "You go get him, girl! You can do this!" were blocked out by her internal panic. She sat back down in her seat next to Taylor and as she leaned down to put her shoes on, Taylor leaned down as well.

"What's going on? Why are you biting your lip? Are you nervous?"

"Sort of," Gabriella admitted. "Tay, I haven't bowled since I lived in Baltimore."

"How long ago was that?"

"Three years. I really don't know how well I'm going to do. How could I have been so stupid to start that bet knowing how bad I am?"

"Girl, you've got it _bad!"_

"What do you mean?" Gabriella asked her, confused.

"My sister Teisha tells me that a guys likes a competitive girl. It shows them that you're not afraid to get in there and mix it up, so to speak. Look, Troy is a jock by nature. You are not. He sees that you acknowledge his competitive side and that you want to take part in that. It's probably making him like you even more. What you did was a smart move."

"But what if he wins? I'll never live it down!"

"At least it'll make for an interesting story on how you two got together," Taylor told her with a wink.

"Gee, thanks, Tay. You're a real help!"

About halfway through the game, Troy was ahead of Gabriella by about twenty-three points. After she took her turn, she excused herself to go get a drink and Taylor took advantage of Gabriella's absence to go sit next to Troy.

"Hey, Troy," she said as she approached him.

"What's up, Tay?"

"Not too much," she answered, as she reached out and stole one of his french fries. "You're playing well."

"Fraternizing with the enemy, Bolton?" Chad said as he walked past.

Taylor smirked as she watched him pass them. "No, that's someone else's job, Danforth!" she called out to him, receiving a laugh from the Afro-haired young man in response.

"Thanks, Taylor." Troy swallowed, forcing down his nerves over his upcoming question. "Um, Taylor, I have a question."

"Okay, shoot. What is it?"

"Is Gabriella okay?"

Taylor bit back her smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth as she turned her head to look Troy in the face. "Why do you ask?"

"She just seems kind of... nervous, I guess... tonight. I mean, there's not anything going on, is there?"

"Um, no. She's just nervous over the fact that she hasn't bowled in about three or four years- something like that."

"Then why did she make that bet with me? If I had known that..."

"Because she's trying to impress you," she said as she took another bite, her eyes growing wide with the information she just somewhat inadvertently let slip. "Oops."

"She likes me?" he asked excitedly, letting his cool status slip for the moment.

"Oh, like you didn't know," she told him in a 'well, duh' tone. Taking a breath, she continued. "Okay, may I speak bluntly?" She asked as he nodded. "You can keep this game going the way it is if you want to and come out winning. _But_ keep in mind one thing. This season may be over, but you've got your senior year, Troy. You can't afford to get caught cheating. Keep that in mind. You've got a lot riding on next season." She paused in what she was saying as she grabbed another french fry from his basket, giving him a moment to process her words. When she spotted Gabriella walking back from the snack bar- drink and basket of chicken fingers and fries in hand- she used the bottom half of the fry in her hand to point in the brunette's direction, waiting until Troy was looking in the direction she was gesturing. "Of course, you've apparently got a lot riding on this game, too."

Troy watched as Taylor gave him a smirk and raised her eyebrows. "I'm just sayin..."

She grabbed a third fry and walked away before Gabriella could spot her and grabbed her ball from the ball return to take her turn. Troy leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest. He dipped his final chicken finger in the honey mustard and took a bite while his mind started working out an idea to get him through the rest of the night... and perhaps a girlfriend in the process.

Three frames later, Gabriella had managed to lessen the gap between the two; it was now twenty points. Finally, after watching her struggle through her next turn, Troy decided to take matters into his own hands. Something that Taylor said hit home with him. She had a point. Was winning this game really that important for him to risk his senior season by cheating? He wasn't worried about Gabriella becoming his girlfriend; if she liked him the way Taylor said she did, would she really let this ruin their chance?

Troy cringed as he considered that last thought. _What if she does? I may never get a chance with her! I can't let that happen. I've gotta do something._

He smiled to himself as a thought came to mind as he reached for his ball and approached the line. He purposefully let his wrist twist- careful to not be noticed by his team mates- as he let the ball go and watched as his landed with a _thud_ in the gutter and rolled to the end of the lane. He smiled as he watched, but quickly let it fade as he turned around to face his friends.

"Well, crap," he said, as he faced Chad and Jason. "Hopefully that won't happen again."

"You get another shot. Make this one count," Chad commanded.

When Troy's ball came back to him, he picked it up and once again, made his way to the line and rolled his ball down the lane- too far to the left, however, and only knocked down 4 pins.

Taylor turned to Gabriella and whispered "I guess your luck's about to change."

Gabriella gasped silently as she watched the gap between the two scores get even closer. "Oh, boy," she said to herself as she watched Zeke take his turn.

Finally, it was Gabriella's turn once more. Her first bowl resulted in a four- six split, to which she widened her eyes and held her breath as she turned back around to face her own team mates.

"I- oh, shoot. I've blown this one, haven't I?"

"No, you haven't," Zeke said, as he stood from his seat and walked up to where she was standing waiting on her ball. When it appeared, he picked it up and handed it to her. "Come here, I'll help you."

Troy watched as Zeke put his arms around Gabriella and placed his hands over hers and spoke softly to her.

"Okay, Gabriella, here's what you need to do. When you release the ball-"

"Hold it," Chad spoke up and stood from his own spot, approaching the two. "No coaching her, Baylor. That wasn't in the deal."

"Actually, Chad, they _didn't_ agree to that," Taylor spoke up. Chad turned to look at Taylor and noticed she was giving him a pointed look. She used her eyes to point to the seat next to her, silently telling him to sit, to which he complied.

"What's going on, Tay?" Chad asked once he was seated.

"He's either thinking of next year's season or his upcoming potential relationship." She spoke the second part of her statement quite pointedly, making sure that Chad understood the point she was trying to make. Finally, the light bulb went off.

"So you mean he's throwing the game for her sake?"

"Most likely."

Finally, Chad started to smile and slowly nodded his head. "I get it."

"Good, now leave them alone and let them flirt. I give it till next weekend before they're official."

"Facebook official?" Chad joked.

"Don't push it, Danforth," she told him with a laugh. "Baby steps." The two shared a chuckle and watched as Gabriella followed Zeke's advice and managed to bowl a spare and narrowed the gap even more.

Finally, after all ten frames were complete, the score between the soon-to-be couple was separated by a mere seven points.

"I'll have a copy of my full schedule for you by Monday, Wildcat," Gabriella told him, proud of her accomplishment that evening.

"I can't wait," he told her, a mock pout lacing his facial features. Finally, he smiled. "Good game, Montez," he said as he stuck his hand out.

"Good game, Troy," she told him with the smile that melted his heart as she placed her hand in his and the two of them shook.

The friends all separated, Troy asking Gabriella if she'd like a ride home. After consulting with Taylor, she accepted and walked out the door of the bowling alley with Troy. He held the door to his mother's Toyota Highlander open for her and she climbed in, holding her breath as he shut the door and walked around the front of the car... hoping for more to come from the evening once they reached her house.

**TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF**

The ride back to Gabriella's house was full of mixed emotions- excitement at spending alone time with Troy, nervousness over spending alone time with Troy, and fear over spending alone time with Troy. The butterflies had been released from their cage and were going crazy within her stomach.

_Is he feeling the same way? S_he wondered to herself. Gabriella bit her lip and dared to sneak a glance in his direction. Taking in the sight of him keeping the beat of the song on the radio by drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, she quickly shook the thought from her mind.

_Don't be silly, Gabriella. This is Troy Bolton. Of course he's not feeling the same way._

"So what do you want to do the rest of the evening?"

"What?" she asked, startled, as his voice cut through her thoughts.

"Well, my curfew isn't for another two hours, so I'm pretty much yours for the rest of the night." _Or at least I hope I can be yours for the- stop it, Troy! Don't rush this! H_e silently scolded himself. _Take your time. _He took a deep breath to calm himself as he waited for her to answer.

"Um, I guess we can watch a movie or something. Or- at the risk of sounding corny- we can hang out on my balcony and just talk."

"I actually like that idea," he told her.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I mean, get to know each other more, right?" He looked at her as they approached a red light. The two locked eyes and shared a small smile.

"Yeah," she softly agreed.

"Then it's settled. We'll sit out on your balcony and look at the stars. Ask each other questions and learn more about each other."

"Okay."

They continued the ride in a comfortable silence. At one stop light in particular, Gabriella absentmindedly let her arm rest on the center console arm rest, leaving her hand dangling off the front edge. Troy noticed this out of the corner of his eye and the internal battle raged on.

_Just reach down and take her hand in yours!_ The devil on his left shoulder told him.

_No, Troy. Not just yet. You don't want to scare her off,_ the angel on the right side gently reminded him.

_Dude, you're freaking Troy Bolton! No girl would be scared off because you- of all people- held her hand! _There's that crazy devil again!

_But your hands are all sweaty. Is that the kind of first impression you want to leave her with? _That angel sure did have a good point.

_Hello? You're wearing jeans...! _

_He's right, Troy. You are wearing jeans. Just wipe your hand on the leg of your pants- casually- and she'll never know!_

_When did the angel and the devil start agreeing with each other?_ He thought to himself, as he proceeded to run his right hand along the leg of his jeans. Finally, he nonchalantly reached down and took Gabriella's hand in his, gently lacing their fingers together.

As her hand became engulfed in his, Gabriella's eyes grew wide and she looked down and took in the sight, causing a smile to form on her face. Trying to not let her excitement show, she turned her head to stare out the passenger side window, trying to work out this new development in her mind.

They stayed that way until Troy pulled into Gabriella's driveway, when he reluctantly had to let go so he could turn off the ignition of the car. Troy got out of the car and came around to Gabriella's side to help her out. Once her feet were on the cement, he took her hand once more and the young hopeful couple walked to the door, Gabriella pulling out her door key on the way. When she opened the door, they heard sounds of the television set coming from within the living room, so they made their way down the hall.

"Hey, Mom. I'm here, eight minutes early!" Gabriella announced.

"Did you have fun?" Maria asked, as she used the remote control to turn the volume down a tiny bit and looked up to the doorway. "Oh, hello, Troy. I didn't know you were coming by."

"Hi, Ms. Montez," Troy greeted her.

"How did the evening go?"

"It was good. We all had a great time," he told her.

"Who won?"

"Um... Well, Zeke and Gabriella both kind of did," he admitted while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Both? Was there a tie?"

"No, Mom. Troy and I had a bet going and I won, but Zeke won the game itself."

"What did you win?" Maria asked with interest.

"He has to carry my books everyday for a week," Gabriella excitedly told her mom. "But right now, we're going to go upstairs and out onto the balcony. Is that alright?" she asked, hopeful. Her eyes were begging her mother to please let a boy in her room just this once.

Maria must have caught on to her daughter's silent plea. She studied the two young teenagers standing before her as she pondered her daughter's request. She noticed Troy nervously looking down at his shoes and she noticed how Gabriella was biting on her lip- a nervous habit she had since she was nine, the year Diego died. And then she noticed the one thing that made her heart to skip a beat- the tell tale sign of her daughter standing with her right hand behind her back and Troy standing a little closer than usual, his left hand partially hidden from view as well.

_Where did this come from?_ She silently thought, before releasing a long breath and conceding to her daughter's request.

"Alright, but the door stays open."

"Yes, ma'am!" Gabriella said as she approached her mom and threw her arms around her neck. "Thank you!" she told her, with a tight squeeze.

"Be smart and do the right thing," Maria whispered in her daughter's ear.

"I will, Mom," Gabriella returned in her own whispered tone, before releasing her hold and turning back to face Troy and led the way to the staircase.

Maria sighed and shook her head as she watched the two climb the stairs.

"Ay, Diego..."

**TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF**

Ten minutes later found the two teens situated on the balcony outside of Gabriella's room. Both doors were open and the light breeze was blowing Gabriella's hair all over her face. She had been struggling to hold it out of her face, but finally gave a sigh of frustration and walked back inside to get a clip. Gathering her hair and securing it with the clip, she then relaxed once more and continued the game of Twenty Questions that she and Troy had started in an attempt to get to know each other just that much better.

"Okay, so how many different cities have you lived in exactly? Like fifteen, right?" Troy asked with a smirk.

"No, Troy!" Gabriella reached out to playfully smack his arm as he tried to duck out of the way, laughing. "I've lived in six, but moved five, thank you very much!"

"Where?" he asked, turning serious.

"Well, I was born in San Antonio. Then when Mom and I started moving, it was- in this order- Atlanta, Baltimore, Seattle, San Diego, and now Albuquerque."

"Wow," he said in amazement.

"Yeah." She tried to hide her eye roll from him, but Troy saw it anyway. "What about you?"

"Nope. Albuquerque my whole life."

"Whoa," she said with mock admiration. "What's that like, being in one place your whole life?" Troy laughed and she grinned.

"So what's your favorite color?" she asked randomly, catching him off guard, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in confusion.

"What?"

"Your favorite color?" she asked again.

"That was a random change of subject," he commented. "Um... I don't know, really. Green?"

"You sound like you're guessing," she pointed out.

"Well, I don't really have one, I guess."

"I don't like green that much."

"Why not?" he asked.

"I don't know. Reminds me of baby food, maybe? I'm not sure."

"Then I guess I just won't wear it that often." Troy smiled slightly when he noticed her slight blush. "What's yours?"

"Red. I know that sounds cliche now that that's our school color and all, but it is. I've loved red since I was in fifth grade... all different shades of it."

It was his turn to ask a question. "Favorite holiday?"

Her answer came quickly. "Christmas. Not because of the presents, but because of the meaning of the holiday itself. And the feeling in the air. Especially in Atlanta. It actually snowed the year we were there, which doesn't happen that often, and we got a white Christmas- the only one I've ever seen. Everything was just fresh and crisp and- I just can't describe it! It's like it _was_ Christmas that year. I mean, it snowed in Baltimore- way too much-" she said with a roll of her eyes "but not on Christmas day. That's probably my favorite Christmas memory..." Gabriella's voice trailed off as she got lost in the memory, which didn't go unnoticed by Troy.

"Why's that?" he asked softly, not wanting to disturb the peace she had created with her story.

"It was our first Christmas after my dad died." He took a breath as he watched the look on her face change from one of sadness to one of serenity. She released a deep breath and looked at him. "What about you? What's your favorite holiday?"

"St. Patrick's Day," he said with a grin.

"So you can wear green?" she asked sarcastically.

Troy laughed at her reasoning. "No."

"Um, okay. I give. Why?"

"Because it's exactly three weeks before my birthday. St. Patrick's Day comes around and the countdown begins."

"You're such a big kid, aren't you?"

"Of course," he told her using his best 'well, duh' tone. "Aren't you?"

Gabriella shook her head as she turned back to look up at the sky and grinned. "You're crazy." The two laughed and Gabriella continued with the Twenty Questions.

"Okay, this is gonna sound stupid, but I'm curious," she began as she turned back to face him once more. "What's you're favorite sport?"

"Um...basketball?"

"See, there you go again, answering a question with a question. Is it _really_ your favorite, or do you just tell people that to appease your dad... or because you're really good at it? I've heard you say that you play golf, too."

"Well, okay, I see what you're saying. And yeah, I do play golf, too. But yeah, basketball is my favorite." Troy allowed his voice to trail off as he got lost in his own thoughts, allowing those thoughts to be verbalized. "And if we're being honest, it's probably because it's something that me and Dad have shared. Yeah, I get fed up with him sometimes, but basketball is something we'll always have, I guess."

Gabriella nodded and took the lead herself this time as she reached out and took his hand. She gave him a small smile and he looked down at their interlocked hands and smiled himself. He allowed himself to get lost in the moment, feeling her hand grasped tightly in his, before shaking off the sappiness of the moment and returning the question.

"Sooo, you like bowling? You're good at it."

"Honestly?" she asked and watched as he nodded. "I do, actually. But it's been like three years since I last went bowling, till tonight.

"No way." Try as he may, Troy was unsuccessful in trying to sound shocked at her revelation.

"Tay told you didn't she. You..." Gabriella stopped talking as a thought dawned on her. She pulled her hand from his and pointed a finger at him accusingly as she continued talking. "Wait! Did you lose on purpose?" Gabriella's eyes grew wide and Troy could easily see the fire that was coming to life in them

"Yeah...well...wait, let me explain before you get mad, please?" he begged.

Gabriella crossed her arms across her chest with a scowl on her face. "Talk."

_Geez, we're not even together and already I'm digging a hole, _Troy thought to himself.

"Look, Taylor made me realize that _if_ I won, and you did my homework...technically, that's cheating. And if I got caught cheating then it wouldn't be a good thing for my basketball career. So... did I make a conscious effort to lose the game? Yes. But I went into it to win...and I didn't really _let_ you win...I just...I backed off to keep myself out of trouble."

"We could've changed the bet, Troy. I wouldn't have done your homework anyway. I am not a cheater."

"So were you that confident that you would win? You were _so_ sure of yourself that you agreed to the bet?" he challenged her.

Gabriella turned her head away from him knowing he was on the verge of busting her secret wide open. She bit her lip and hesitated in her answer. "That's not exactly..." she began as her voice trailed off to an inaudible level.

"I'm sorry? I didn't hear what you said."

Gabriella smacked her hand against her leg like a five year old. "I said, that's not exactly why I agreed to the bet. I agreed to it just because you suggested it."

"So what if I had won?" It was Troy's turn to fold his arms across his chest, amused at the new direction of the conversation.

"Well," she began, a blush appearing on her cheeks and her throat going dry, "if you had won, I thought maybe, we ... you know... could maybe ... work on your homework...kind of...maybe...together, you know. So I wouldn't ... actually ... be doing your homework but I could help you with it and make sure you got the right answers...and stuff."

Troy nodded his head slowly, as he took in her nervousness and understood the real reason she apparently wanted to spend time with him. It suddenly became clear to him that they were on the same page as far as their potential relationship was concerned. He pushed his body off the railing and crossed the few steps so he was standing closer to her.

"We could still do that, you know? I mean, I can always use help with my homework...so if you want to help me, that'd be great, really," he told her.

They both looked at each other real quickly and smiled with the understanding. Troy led her over to the pair of chaise lounges she had set up on her balcony and gestured for her to sit and he did the same. They sat quietly over the next couple of minutes trying to gather their thoughts. Finally, Troy broke the silence.

"Okay, next question."

"Go."

"How old were you when your dad died?" he asked softly.

"Nine," she said quickly. "Moving on."

"Okay, so I guess we won't talk about him yet. That's okay. I'm fine with waiting until you're ready. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's okay. It was cancer and it's just really hard for me to talk about it. Someday, maybe.

"I understand. I respect that and I'll wait until you're ready. I'm sorry I brought him up."

"No, it's okay."

Troy quickly glanced toward her and shrugged his shoulders. "Do over?" he asked with a quirky smile. He waited until Gabriella rolled her eyes and nodded at him before continuing. She thought she noticed a tinge of pink in his cheeks as she listened to his next line.

"Can I ask your opinion on something, since you're a girl...

"So glad you noticed," she said with a smirk.

"Well, so, what's the best way for a guy to find out if a girl likes him or not?"

Gabriella's face was full of disbelief as she watched the boy beside her. "What, you mean if she likes him... or if she _likes_ him?" she said, emphasizing the second phrase. When Troy shrugged once more and the blush became more obvious, Gabriella pressed her lips together and turned her head away slightly to hide the smile that wanted to creep through her cheeks.

"Are you seriously asking _me_ this question? I mean, you're Troy Bolton. The coolest guy is school. The guy that all other guys want to be-"

"Well, yeah," he continued, cutting her off and leaving her in a fit of giggles. "because you're really easy to talk to, and...this is something I need to know."

"Mmmhmmm... Well, I'd say just ask her."

"You mean like just come straight out and ask her if she likes me?" he asked, slightly shocked that it really could be that easy. "Because I really like this girl and I don't want to ruin my chance with her or scare her off or anything."

"Yeah, just ask her," she told him with a shrug of her shoulders.

"That seems too easy, but yet really hard at the same time. I mean, what if her answer is 'no'?"

"Well, you won't know unless you ask her," she challenged him.

" So just come right out and ask her, point blank?" He was still uncertain that it could really be that easy.

"Yep."

Troy took a deep breath. "Soooo, if I really like her I should just ask her if she likes me too?"

"YES!" Gabriella practically yelled, laughing at his nerves, her own nerves, and even a little of her own frustration. "Is it really _that_ hard to do?"

"I know it shouldn't be...but I don't want to ruin the friendship we have," he admitted.

"But what if you're supposed to be more than friends?" Gabriella couldn't fight the butterflies that were spreading tornadoes through her whole body.

_Calm down! _she silently screamed at herself. _Just because you like him doesn't mean- _Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his voice.

"So I should just ask her?" he tried again.

"Yeah," she said with a nod and a small smile, encouraging him to continue with the question she hoped would follow.

Troy took another deep breath, and then swallowed nervously. "Gabriella...I...really like you, spending time with you, talking to you. Do you, I mean I know we really just met a few weeks ago, but do you like me?"

The huge grin spreading across her face was all the answer he needed.

"Yeah. I do like you, Troy."

The breath that Troy had been holding in came out in a huge sigh of relief and the smile spread across his face to match hers.

"See? Now was that so hard?" she asked him giggling at his reaction. She turned her back on him and took the few steps towards the railing, putting both hands on top of it and allowing her smile to grow wider as her butterflies flying around even more.

Troy reached out and wrapped his arms across her middle and lifted her off the ground, giving her a spin and causing her laughter to fill the air at the unexpected action.

Maria stood in the doorway of her daughter's room, watching the interaction of the two teenagers. When she heard her daughter's voice raise all the way through the open windows of the kitchen, she got slightly concerned and made her way upstairs. As she watched the rest of the nervous scene play out before her eyes, she was relieved to see that Gabriella's outburst was nothing to worry about. Seeing the look on her daughter's face made all the moving around, all the adjustments, all the days of hardly no friends seem almost worth it. Something deep down told Maria that the semi-hermit her daughter had been known to be was about to vanish. Knowing she shouldn't keep watching and should give the two some privacy, Maria for some reason found it hard to tear herself away and- against her better judgment- watched the budding relationship take form before her very eyes.

Gabriella let out another small laugh as she looked at him again, biting gently on her lip. "Now I have a question for you, Wildcat." The sound of her soft, angelic voice brought a smile to his face that matched hers.

"What's that?" he asked with a chuckle.

She blushed as she spoke. "Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

Maria watched as Troy took tentative steps towards her daughter. She watched as he placed his hand gently on her cheek and tilted her head upward and as Gabriella stood on her tiptoes. She watched as the two pairs of lips met each other halfway. And then she turned and walked back down the hall into her own bedroom. She spotted another picture of her late husband and walked across the room and picked it up.

"She's growing up, Diego. I'm trusting you to give me pointers on this whole 'you're dating my daughter' thing. But I don't think I'll have to turn it on that often; he's a very polite, well bred young man and I think you'd approve."

She set the picture back down on her bedside table and walked into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. As she settled into her bed with the latest Karen Kingsbury book, she spotted the two giddy teenagers walking past her door and down the stairs, oblivious to everything in the world, except each other.

**TGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGFTGF**


End file.
